01/07/2026
Almost ordered takeout tonight, then I remembered I had a pack of chicken thighs in the fridge that needed to be used up. My husband has been asking me to try making Korean fried chicken at home for months and I kept putting it off because I assumed it would be a whole production.
Here's what I used:
For the chicken
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup cornstarch
For the sauce
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons gochujang
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 garlic cloves minced
4 scallions thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds
Here's how it went:
1. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. I used the round perforated sheets made for steamers and honestly it made the whole thing so much easier to manage.
2. Combine the chicken with the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and toss everything together. Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. I did mine for about 20 while I prepped everything else.
3. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and put the cornstarch in a separate shallow bowl.
4. Dunk each piece of chicken in the egg first, then coat it in cornstarch. Arrange in the air fryer basket. You'll probably need two batches, which I did.
5. Spritz or brush the coated chicken with a little cooking oil before you cook it. Don't skip this part.
6. Air fry at 400 degrees for 8 minutes, flip the pieces, hit them with a little more oil, then cook another 7 minutes at the same temp.
7. While the chicken is going, stir together the ketchup, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic in a small bowl until it's all combined.
8. When the chicken comes out, toss it in the sauce right away and top with sesame seeds and scallions.